The Ira copper-molybdenum prospect occurs along Skwum Creek and its southward-flowing tributary, Irish Creek, 13 to 14 kilometres northwest of Tulameen.

The area in the vicinity of Skwum Creek is underlain to the west by foliated granodiorite of the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Eagle Plutonic Complex and to the east by andesitic metavolcanics of the Upper Triassic Nicola Group. The contact between the two units strikes north-northwest.

The metavolcanics are intruded by a series of early Tertiary feldspar, feldspar-biotite and lesser feldspar quartz porphyry dikes of intermediate composition in the vicinity of the granodiorite-volcanic contact. The dikes are less than a metre to tens of metres in width and have been traced over distances of up to 800 metres. They strike north-northwest, parallel to the granodiorite contact and dip moderately to steeply southwest, subparallel to the foliation in the volcanics, which dips 45 to 85 degrees. The larger dikes tend to be more intensely altered and mineralized.

The dikes and enclosing volcanics are cut by stringers and stockworks of quartz and lesser calcite. Stringers of potassium feldspar are also present in the porphyry. The mineral is occasionally developed adjacent to quartz stringers. Feldspar phenocrysts are variably altered to clay, sericite and carbonate in the dikes. Minor hydrothermal biotite is formed along fractures. Epidote occurs in quartz stringers and along pyrite-filled fractures, especially in the volcanics. The volcanics are chloritized and variably silicified. They are intensely chloritized when cut by quartz and quartz-calcite stockworks.

The dikes and volcanics are mineralized with various sulphides, along fractures and as disseminations. Pyrite is the most common sulphide, usually forming 1 to 3 per cent of the hostrock, sometimes up to 5 per cent. The mineral is commonly developed along randomly oriented fractures and quartz stringers, but occurs also as disseminations, in both the dikes and the volcanics. Traces of chalcopyrite and molybdenite occur in the porphyry and to a lesser extent in the volcanics, along fractures and quartz stringers, and as disseminations. Minor magnetite is also noted.

Elevated copper and molybdenum values were obtained in two of four vertical holes drilled in 1974. One hole analysed 0.090 per cent copper and 0.012 per cent molybdenum at 48.8 to 64.0 metres depth, and 0.094 per cent copper and 0.008 per cent molybdenum at 82.3 to 106.7 metres depth (Assessment Report 5344, hole 74-2). A second hole, located 590 metres to the south, analysed 0.11 per cent copper and 0.004 per cent molybdenum at 64.0 to 76.2 metres depth (hole 74-3).

In 2016, rock chip samples of silica-sericite–altered quartz-feldspar-biotite porphyry with quartz stockwork veining and disseminated to blebby pyrite-chalcopyrite-molybdenite mineralization yielded up to 0.16 per cent copper and 0.013 per cent molybdenum (Sample Q980314; Assessment Report 36939).

Anorther zone of mineralization, referred to as the Alpha zone, is located approximately 700 metres north of the historic IRA (Irish Creek) adits and comprises silicified metasedimentary rocks with pyrite and chalcopyrite. In 1997, trenching on the zone yielded 0.080 per cent copper over 11 metres, including 0.156 per cent copper over 3 metres in trench 97-6, whereas drilling yielded up to 0.088 per cent copper with 0.011 per cent molybdenum over 19.8 metres, including 0.156 per cent copper over 3.05 metres in hole 580-RC6 (Assessment Report 25293).

Work History

This copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit was initially developed by four adits excavated some time before 1913 on Irish Creek, 700 metres above the creek's confluence with Skwum Creek.

The deposit has been extensively explored by various operators since its rediscovery by Copper Range Exploration Company in 1969. Copper Range Exploration, Rio Tinto Exploration Ltd., Donegal Developments Ltd. and Mara Minerals and Oils Inc. completed numerous geological, geochemical and magnetometer surveys, and 2590 metres of drilling in 9 diamond-drill holes and 26 percussion-drill holes between 1970 and 1980. The drilling tested an area just east of the granodiorite contact over a northwest-southeast distance of 4.5 kilometres.

In 1991, S. Young prospected the area as the Kika claim.

In 1996 and 1997, Nufort Resources Inc. completed programs of geochemical (rock and soil) sampling, trenching and 10 reverse circulation drill holes, totalling 531.9 metres, on the area immediately north of the occurrence as the Independence property.

During 2014 through 2018, Tech-X Resources Ltd. completed programs of geological mapping, geochemical (rock, silt and soil) sampling, 29.5 line-kilometres of induced polarization surveys and a 548.9 line-kilometre airborne magnetic survey and on the area as the Thinne and LC claims of the Lawless Creek property.